The present invention relates to a data processor and display system, and particularly to a display system which is sensitive to orientation. The invention is especially applicable for displaying time and/or temperature, and is therefore described below with respect to such an application, but it will be appreciated that the invention could be used for displaying other types of information.
The present highly advanced state of the digital processor technology has enabled many types of digital display devices, such as clocks, thermometers, etc., to be developed in the form of small compact units containing their own data processors and power supplies. Most of these display devices are based on a 7-segment LCD (liquid crystal display) or LED (light emitting diode) displays, in which each digit is constituted of 7 segments which are selectively energized by a driver circuit in order to indicate the respective digit. Many of these display devices are single-purpose devices, including their own sources of information, such as a real-time watch or clock for displaying time or a thermometer for displaying temperature. However, many are multi-purpose display devices including two or more sources of information each of which may be selected for display.